Good sign for
Porters: Hansen
raises his game

GARRET MEADE PHOTO
Tremayne Hansen of Greenport has raised his game this summer.

PATCHOGUE — If Tremayne Hansen seems to catch more than his share of grief from the Greenport boys basketball summer league coach, Rodney Shelby, there’s a good reason for that: Hansen is Shelby’s nephew.

“I know he can play,” Shelby said. “That’s why you might hear me yelling at him more than anybody else, but I know that he is capable of playing good.”

Hansen has certainly shown that, especially recently. The 6-foot-6 senior is a dynamic figure on the basketball court, crashing the boards, making passes, finishing shots in the paint.

In the Town of Brookhaven Boys Basketball Summer League final last Wednesday night, Hansen put up 16 points and 13 rebounds — both game-highs — in a 44-40 overtime loss to Sachem East at St. Joseph’s College’s John A. Danzi Athletic Center. It might have been his best game of the summer.

But Hansen’s performance in the league’s small schools final the night before against Mattituck wasn’t too shabby, either. He accounted for 14 points, seven rebounds, five steals and two blocks in that one.

Asked about his growth as a player, Hansen, who typically keeps his answers during interviews succinct, replied, “I’m more aggressive.”

As Shelby sees it, the missing ingredient that Hansen has added to his game is confidence. “He had to build up his confidence,” the coach said. “I knew he was capable of doing it. He just had to have confidence.”

Hansen’s rising stock has to help DantrÃ Langhorne, Greenport’s marquee player who routinely faces two or even three defenders when he faces the basket with the ball in his hands.

“It takes pressure off of me because we all play as a team,” Langhorne said. “We all go for the loose balls, and everybody is hungry for more.”

Greenport’s summer season came to an end last Wednesday night. In the Brookhaven Summer League, overtime goes fast. Two minutes — the first minute of which is running time — and it’s over. The team that strikes first has a big advantage.

That team was Sachem East, which won its first overall Brookhaven league championship at Greenport’s expense. A basket by Randall Colson and two free throws by Dan Candemeres did the trick, providing all the scoring in the brief overtime.

A lot of behind-the-scenes work went into the Flaming Arrows’ achievement. Multiple team camps, a spring league, two summer leagues, and open gyms were all part of it.

“It’s the culmination of six months of effort, so we’re really happy,” Sachem East Coach John Finta said. “I think we all knew what we were capable of and were desperately trying to show it.”

Candemeres hit three three-point shots and finished with 15 points and five assists while Colson scored 13 points, two of which came on a first-half dunk.

Colson landed hard on his tailbone after wrestling with Langhorne for the ball with 10 minutes 31 seconds left in the second half. He laid on the court, writhing in pain before rising to his feet after a few minutes and walking off the floor. He returned to the game less than three minutes later.

Sachem East, the league’s large schools champion, finished the summer with a 10-3 record. Meanwhile, the loss was the first of the summer for small schools champion Greenport (12-1).

Greenport rallied with baskets by Hansen, Brandon Pettaway and Langhorne late in the second half to force overtime. The Porters were trailing, 40-38, with the clock winding down when, just as Shelby called for them to intentionally foul, Hansen stole the ball. Moments later, Langhorne hit a mid-range jumper with about one second left in the second half to tie the score at 40-40. Langhorne had 10 points and five assists.

Greenport, which won this title two years ago, led virtually the entire first half until C. J. Everson’s turnaround three-pointer made it 16-15 Sachem East right before halftime. The Porters never led again after that.

The Porters got a lot of out of their summer experience.

“Our team has accomplished a lot,” Hansen said. “We won. Everybody got the chance to feel what it’s like to win.”

Hansen appears poised to have a big senior season with the school team.

“As a coach, you’re happy to see him grow and mature and get strong and play smart,” Shelby said. “But as an uncle, a family member, you just love it because I’ve seen a transformation. I’ve seen him go from a timid young man to one of our go-to guys. So, we know if DantrÃ ain’t doing it or Jalen [Shelby, the coach’s son] ain’t doing it, Tremayne is going to do it.”

The coach added, “The fact that I yell at him and get down on him and he don’t talk back, that’s a good thing.”

One Comment

flat out LIE by sputervisor – CSEA was NEVER asked to give a lag. Sean said back in August QUOTE “a lag does me no good” at one of two meetings of staff and administartation. Therefore a lag was never an option, nore would it be considered.

Polititians – all the same. Lie to your face to get what they need. Votes.